Lamp-controlled circuits.



W. REID.

LAMP CONTROLLED CIRCUITS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 6. 1914.

Patentd May 22, 1917 UNITED sr ,WILIIIAM REID, F CHICAGO,

ILLINQIS, Assronon T0 KELLOGG SWITCHBOARD AND SUPILY COMPANY, OFGHICAG-U, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

LAMP-CONTROLLED CIRCUITS.

" Specification of Letters Eatent,

Patented May 22, 1917.

Application filed may 6, 1914. Serial LIo. 836,594.

' zen of the United States, residing in the city PLO of Chicago, countyof Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful.Improvements in Lamp'Controlled (hrcuits, of which the following is aspecincak101i. 7

My invention relates to lamp control circu1ts and more particularly tothe control of the lamps in an automobile lighting circuit and has forits object the provision of means, which when operated to one of itspositions allow the lights to burn to their full incandescencc or whenthenneans is moved to its other position the lights are dimmed.

It is commonly known that in most cities glaring head lights are notpermitted for city driving and different appliances have been used toovercome the necessity of completely effacing the head lights.Extraneous devices such as shields which are placed over the head lightshave been used to deaden the glaring rays of light therefrom, andexternal resistances have also been used, adapted to be cut in and outof the lighting circuit. All such devices are objectionable becauseextraneous devices are required, and the external resistance makes thelighting inei'licient because the current consluned by it is not allused for lighting purposes, but is largely dissipated in heat.

I accomplish this object of dimming the glare from the lights whendriving in cities without the use of any external mechanical devices orwithout external resistances in the circuit. By arranging the lamps andthe switch by which they are controlled in a novel circuit, I am enabledto connect the lamps themselves in different battery relations so thatin one position of the switch candle power to serve only as a the lampsburn brightly as head lights, and in the other position of the switchthey burn dimly and serve the function of what is commonly known as sidelights. Due to the regulations against glaring lights in cities, it isthe present practice to employ two separate sets of lamps, one of highcandle power for driving in the country and the other of comparativelylow warning signal when driving in the city. With my invention I am ableto dispose of one set of these lamps and y merely connecting the otherset in diiferent battery relations, I

utilize the same set of lamps for both purposes. There is therefore asaving in external apparatus for dimming the head lights, and a savingin the number of lamps required to meet all conditions of travel.

In the present embodiment of my inven tion I provide a novel circuitarrangement operated by a single key or switch. Two sets of springs arepreferably provided one set being operated when the key is moved in oneof its positions to place the head lights in series, thereby dimmingthem, and this dim burning of the head lights being used where the fullincandescence of the head lights is prohibited, or to take the place onthe machine of the usual side lights. lVhen the key is moved to itsother position the lamps burn in multiple thereby burning to their .fullineandescence, this multiple lighting being used where the fullincandoscence of the head lights is needed. Cars not provided withdimming'arrangements are forced to efi'ace the headlights, but as somemeans of lighting must be had the side lights are left burning. Asstated an object of my invention is to provide a circuit which placesthe head lights in series by the operation of the key or switch,reducing the incandescence so as to permit one to keep the head lightsburning, so that in using my circuit arrangement side lights can bedispensed with.

Another object of my invention is to provide a simple circuitarrangement without extraneous resistance or current consumingapparatus, and operating in connection with any suitable switch or key,the said circuit being simple in construction and most eiiicicnt inoperation.

The accompanying drawing diagrammatically shows one embodiment of thecircuit arrangemei'it of my invention.

Referring now more in detail to my invention as illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, a key or switch K is provided which operates twosets of spring contacts, one of the sets of springs controlling theseries lighting and the other set the multiple lighting of the headlights L and L The key K can be of any suitable type but I haveillustrated this particular key as I have found that it operatessuccessfully in con junction with my commercial lamp control circuit,

This key is of the common com 119 the closed contacts 7 ride upon theangular key type and comprises an escutcheon plate 1 and a frame 2, theframe being fastened to the escutcheon plate 1 in any suitable marrner.A earn 3 is pivoted to the frame 2 and a handle a and a roller 5 ofinsulation are fastened to the cam. I have shown the handie 4; in itsnormal position, and by movement to the right or left it operates thetwo sets of contacts, one set comprising the spring contacts (iand 7 andthe other comprising the contact springs 8, 9, 10, 11. The handle 4 whenthrown to the ri ht causes the cam to move about its pivot, t e roller 5to extension of the spring 7, and force the springs 6 and 7 to theiralternate position, which closes a series circuit for the head lights Land L including the battery B. The angular extension at the free end ofthe spring 7 operates to hold the key lever 4 and its cam 5 in itsactuated position until manually restored. Thus when the lever isthrown. to the right, contact sprin s 6 and 7 are maintained inengagement y said angular extension at the top of spring '7. Also spring8 is provided with a small angular extension which maintains the keylever in its actuated pwition when thrown to the left to operate thealternate group of springs.

aving referred in general to the circuit arrangement the operation ofthe circuit will now be described. Assuming that the key is in itsnormal position and that the operator wished to light the lights L and Lto serve as side lights for city driving, that is, not wanting them toburn to their full incandescence, the handle of the key is thrown to theright. The roller 5 would then close the contacts 6 and 7, providing aseries circuit for the lights L and L traced from battery B, conductor12,

and 6 of the key K, conductor 13 through the light L, conductors 14 and14 light L conductor 15 back to the other side of battery B. This closedcircuit causes current to flow through the lights L and L in series,reducing the candle power in places of the lights to that degree ofincandescence suitable for side lights. The lights are adapted to burnbrightly as head lights at 6 volts, Which is commonly used forautomobile lighting, and by placing the lamps in series approximatelythree volts is, placed across each terminal of the lamps and the lam sare thus dimmed to about the right incan escenee for side lights, or fordriving where bri ht head lights are prohibited. The key I remains inthis position until the operator wishes to cflace the lights or throwthe handle to the left to allow the lights to burn to their fullincandescence.

Assuming that the operator wishes to place the lights L and L inmultiple circuit, so as to burn as head lights to their fullincandescence, the handle of the key K is thrown to the left, and theroller 5 closes the contacts 8, 9 '10 and 11. This closes a multiple;circuit or the lights L and L, the 011- cuit of lamp L bein traced frombattery B, conductor 12, closed contacts 8 and 9, conductor 16 to thepoint 19, dividing at this point and continuing over conductor 14through the lamp L, conductor 13, conductor 17, closed contacts 11 and10, conductor 18 to the other side of the battery 13. The circuit of thelamp L is traced from battery 15', conductor 12, closed contacts 8 and9, conductor 16, to point 19, dividing at this point and continuing overconductor 14 through the lamp L, conductor 15 to the other side of thebattery B. cause current to flow through the lights L and L in multipleand the lights each receive the full voltage of the battery which causesthem to burn to their full incandeseenice as head lights. This brightburning of the head lights can be used outside of the prohibiteddistricts or for country driving, and the lights can be convenientlyswitched oil and on by the movement of the key.

ssuming the head lights are burning brightly and. the operator wishes toreduce their incandescence to side lightcapacity while passing anothercar, this can be accomplished by merely shifting the switch lever to itsalternate position. Also if it is desired to temporarily bring thelights up to head light capacity in passing a bad strip of road, orwhere street lighting is dim, this can also be done by a singleoperation of the switch.

While I have shown a particular form of key and circuit, I do not wishto be limited to the details of same, but to cover all such changes andmodifications therein that come within the spirit and scope of theappended claims.

Having thus described myinvention what claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with two electrical devices, a conductor connectingthem in series, a battery, a multiposition switch device provided withmovable and relatively stationary contacts, a. conductor extending fromsaid first conductor to a stationary one of said switch contacts, aconductor extending from one of said electrical devices to a pair ofsaid stationary contacts, a conductor extending from the other of saidelectrical devices to a movable one of said contacts and to one pole ofsaid battery, a conductor extending from the other pole of said batteryto a pair of said movable contacts, means for operating said switchdevice in one direction to cause a movable and a stationary one of saidcontacts to contact thereby closing a series circuit through saidelectrical devices, and means for moving the said switch device inanother direction to cause closing a multiple energizing circuit throughsaid electrical devices.

2. The combination with a pair of electrical devices, of a battery, atwo position switch device provided with movable and relativelystationary springs, a conductor connected to a terminal of each of saidelectrical devices and connected to a. stationary one of said springs, aconductor extending from one of said devices to one of said movablesprings and to one pole of said battery, a third conductor extendingfrom the other of said electrical devices to a pair of said stationarysprings, a fourth conductor extending from the other pole of saidbattery to a pair of movable ones of said springs,

means for moving said switch device in. one

direction thereby operating certain of said switch springs to close aseries circuit for said devices, and means for moving said switch devicein another direction for operating other of said springs thereby closinga multiple circuit for said devices.

In an electrical installation the combination with a pair of electricaldevices, a two pole battery, a switch device provided with two operatingpositions, movable and relatively stationary springs controllable bysaid switch device, an electrical conductor extending from one pole ofsaid battery to a pair of said movable springs, a second conductorextending from a terminal of each of said electrical devices to astationary one of said springs, a third conductor extending from theother terminal of one of said electrical devices to a pair of stationaryones of said springs, a fourth electrical conductor extending from aterminal of the other of said electrical devices to a movable one ofsaid springs and to the other pole of said battery, means formovin'gsaid switch device to one of its operating positions to close contactbetween a movable and stationary one of said springs thereby closing aseries circuit for said electrical devices, and means for moving saidswitch device to the other of its said operating positions for moving apair of said movable springs into contact with a pair of said stationarysprings thereby closing a multiple energizing cir cuit for saidelectrical devices.

4:. The combination with two electrical devices, of a conductorconnecting said de vices in series, movable and stationary switchcontacts, connecting means connecting one end of said conductor to astationary one of said switch contacts, connecting means connectinganother terminal of one of said electrical devices to a terminal of saidbattery and to a movable one of said switch contacts, connecting meansconnecting a terminal of the other of said electrical devices to a pairof said stationary contacts, connecting means connecting the otherterminal of said battery to a pair of said movable contacts, and meansfor operating said contacts to close either a series or mul-' tiplecircuit for said electrical devices.

5. The combination of a pair of electrical devices, of a conductorconnecting them in series, a battery, circuit connections connectingsaid conductor with a stationary switch contact, circuit connections forconnecting a terminal of one of saiddevices to a terminal of saidbattery and to a movable switch contact, circuit connections forconnecting a terminal of the other of said devices to a pair ofstationary contacts, circuit connections for connecting the otherterminal of said battery to a pair of movable contacts, and means formoving said contacts to close either a series or a multiple circuit forsaid devices.

Signed by me at Chicago, county of Cook,

and State of Illinois, in the presence of two

